Taking a Break

[Bluerose31]

Have you ever felt the need to take a break from life? If so, what do you do? Read, write, go on a walk? How do you deal when life gets too stressful?

 

[“Paisios”]

Have you ever felt the need to take a break from life? If so, what do you do? Read, write, go on a walk? How do you deal when life gets too stressful?

Yes, not infrequently. I have often needed breaks from my online presence, and often get stressed and anxious.

I read (usually science fiction and fantasy), listen to relaxing music, withdraw from the Internet for a time, and...always...pray. I have found that repetitions of the Jesus Prayer have a secondary effect of calming me (though my Orthodox acquaintances warn me against using that prayer without a spiritual father directing it).

 

[Bluerose31]

Yes, not infrequently. I have often needed breaks from my online presence, and often get stressed and anxious.

I read (usually science fiction and fantasy), listen to relaxing music, withdraw from the Internet for a time, and...always...pray. I have found that repetitions of the Jesus Prayer have a secondary effect of calming me (though my Orthodox acquaintances warn me against using that prayer without a spiritual father directing it).

Lovely recommendations Do you have a fantasy or science fiction book you might recommend?

 

[“Paisios”]

Lovely recommendations Do you have a fantasy or science fiction book you might recommend?

Perhaps Songmaster by Orson Scott Card?

 

[Bluerose31]

Perhaps Songmaster by Orson Scott Card?

It sounds wonderful Thank you for the recommendation

 

[Halbhh]

I pause and return to the Lord in my mind.

 

[Bluerose31]

I pause and return to the Lord in my mind.

A very good thing to do

 

[tadoflamb]

Have you ever felt the need to take a break from life? If so, what do you do? Read, write, go on a walk? How do you deal when life gets too stressful?

My jobs are all people intensive so when I get a chance I like to spend time alone in the desert or in the woods looking for birds. It tends to mellow me out a lot.

Long summer camping road trips help a lot as well, as well as our one and two night get a ways such as our recent stay at the monastery. That little visit really recharged my spiritual batteries!

 

[Bluerose31]

My jobs are all people intensive so when I get a chance I like to spend time alone in the desert or in the woods looking for birds. It tends to mellow me out a lot.

Long summer camping road trips help a lot as well, as well as our one and two night get a ways such as our recent stay at the monastery. That little visit really recharged my spiritual batteries!

I love that Time alone in the desert or in the woods looking for birds or at the monastery sound wonderful

 

[URA]

I would highly recommend the book Illusions, by Richard Bach. Before I was really a Christian, that book is where I got most of my spiritual guidance, and now that I'm deep in my faith, it's still a source of great nuggets of wisdom! I've read it more times than I can count; sometimes all the way through, sometimes just opening to a random page and reading a chapter or a page. It's very hard to describe without giving too much away, but the full title is "Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah." It's a very clear and somewhat short book, and it's one of those that you never stop thinking about.
On the topic of sci-fi, I'd recommend anything by Isaac Asimov. Much of the sci-fi I read (and much of it that I write) is short stories. One of my favorite collections is "The Twilight Zone: The Original Stories". As the title suggests, it's a collection of many of the stories that Rod Serling turned into Twilight Zone episodes.
I recommend comic books as well; "Pearls Before Swine" and "Dilbert" are two of my favorites.
I'm not in the state anymore that I need to take breaks from life, thanks be to God, but one of my main hobbies is playing musical instruments. I do trumpet, learning French horn, a bit of drums, piano, and keyboard, and I just got a sweet new electric bass. Playing instruments is great, because it's something you can constantly keep improving at, and there's no rules you have to follow; making stuff up as you go is great.
And, of course, posting on this forum is very satisfying. God seems to have given me an unusually strong gift of wisdom, and I love coming here and sharing it with the world.

 

[Bluerose31]

I would highly recommend the book Illusions, by Richard Bach. Before I was really a Christian, that book is where I got most of my spiritual guidance, and now that I'm deep in my faith, it's still a source of great nuggets of wisdom! I've read it more times than I can count; sometimes all the way through, sometimes just opening to a random page and reading a chapter or a page. It's very hard to describe without giving too much away, but the full title is "Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah." It's a very clear and somewhat short book, and it's one of those that you never stop thinking about.
On the topic of sci-fi, I'd recommend anything by Isaac Asimov. Much of the sci-fi I read (and much of it that I write) is short stories. One of my favorite collections is "The Twilight Zone: The Original Stories". As the title suggests, it's a collection of many of the stories that Rod Serling turned into Twilight Zone episodes.
I recommend comic books as well; "Pearls Before Swine" and "Dilbert" are two of my favorites.
I'm not in the state anymore that I need to take breaks from life, thanks be to God, but one of my main hobbies is playing musical instruments. I do trumpet, learning French horn, a bit of drums, piano, and keyboard, and I just got a sweet new electric bass. Playing instruments is great, because it's something you can constantly keep improving at, and there's no rules you have to follow; making stuff up as you go is great.
And, of course, posting on this forum is very satisfying. God seems to have given me an unusually strong gift of wisdom, and I love coming here and sharing it with the world.

Thank you so much for the book recommendations. I think it is awesome that you play instruments Also posting on this forum is very satisfying.